Campaigning in Cyberspace

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Campaigning in Cyberspace

• AFL-CIO

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Were Going to Cover

• Why Online communication is critical
• The Internet explosion
• Websites
• E-mail
• Blogs
• Viral tactics
• Online community sites
• Leveraging Online work in campaigns
• What does it take to get started

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The Internet Explosion

• 205 million Americans73use the Internet.
• United States114 increase from 2000-2007
• More than half the adult population logs on each
  day.
• By late 2004, 8 million had created blogs and 27
  of Internet users were reading blogs.
• Bottom linemost Americans log on every day and
  are getting and sending e-mail.

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WebsitesTen reasons to have a website

• Establish a presence (the new phone book)
• List buildingcollect members e-mail addresses
  and contact info
• Serve membership and those seeking to join
• Heighten public interest (get into the steam of
  search engines)
• Post time sensitive info and important news

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WebsitesTen reasons to have a website (contd)

• 6) Reach the media
• 7) Competitors are doing it (companies,
  anti-union groups are getting their message out)
• 8) Not having a website can seem unprofessional
• 9) Reach younger audiences
• 10) The Internet is the platform of the
  futureits critical for union organizations to
  keep up

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WebsitesHow to use other sites

• Research
• Repository of detailed info
• The new phone book for organizations
• Private sites
• Opportunity to infiltrate others sites

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Websites

• www.aflcio.org
• 6,968 pages
• 262,000-plus average visits per month
• Average length of visit4 minutes, 56 seconds
• Visitor return rate 39.4
• Most popular content Executive PayWatch, AFL-CIO
  Now blog, About Us, timely content

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Websites
Facts Stats www.aflcio.org/issues/factsstats/
Extensive state-by-state data on Jobs
Wages and income Health care Pensions
Poverty Safety and health Unemployment
Trade Education Housing Infrastructure
Bankruptcy
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Websites

• Bargaining
• Public and private sites
• Contract details and negotiation
  updatestransparency
• Build public support for workers

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Websites

• Organizing
• Public and private sites
• Why workers need a union
• InteractivityQA, forum, stories
• Tie to listserv
• Build public support for workers
• Distribute fliers, etc.

Protect workers Be clear about employer
policies on Internet use.
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Websites

• Organizing and Bargaining
• It drives the boss NUTS.

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Websites

• Social networking sites
• MySpacewww.myspace.com
• Facebookwww.facebook.com

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E-Mail

• Instant and inexpensive
• Generate high-volume online response
• Prompt offline action
• Create activist network
• Newsletters

More than half of Americans use e-mail
each day.
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AFL-CIO Working Families Network

• 130 union-affiliated organizations
• 31 national unions
• 28 state federations
• 45 central labor councils
• 3.8 million e-mail addresses

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E-mailWorking Families Network

• Bulk messaging
• Better delivery rates
• HTML e-mail
• Targeted messages
• Advanced reporting

Work constantly to build your list (postcards,
petitions, all points of regular contact).
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E-Mail AdvocacyWorking Families Network

• Online petitions, letters to targets, messages
  to local media
• National and state targets
• Custom targets
• Target by district, ZIP code, county, city,
  committee, etc.

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AFL-CIO Working Families Network

• Easy to set up
• Easy to use
• Monthly training
• User group conference calls
• Content you can use via flow-through
• List-building support
• Templates from the AFL-CIO

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Working Families Network Success

• State Legislation
• Campaign paycheck deception bill in Georgia
• Messages sent 89,922
• Result Georgia House defeated bill even though
  Republicans outnumbered Democrats 9981 and the
  bill seemed likely to pass

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Working Families Network Success
State Legislation
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Working Families Network Success

• Federal Legislation
• Campaign stopping President Bushs overtime pay
  attack
• Messages sent nearly 1 million
• Result Congress stopped Bushs attack on
  overtime pay five times

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Working Families Network Success

• Bargaining
• Campaign Chicago teachers contract negotiations
• Messages sent 625 to city council
• Result teachers won a 4 raise in 2003

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Working Families Network Success

• Bargaining
• Campaign Comcast union-busting
• Messages sent 704,006
• Result the Pennsylvania state legislature
  withheld tax breaks for Comcast

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Working Families Network Success

• Organizing
• Campaign AFSCME organizing a 1,300-person
  bargaining unit at New Mexico State University
• List building 72 e-mail collection
• Result campaign victory

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Working Families Network Success

• Corporate
• Campaign Pictsweet Co. mushrooms/Pizza Hut
• Messages sent 11,240 to Pizza Hut CEO
• Result mushroom pickers won first contractafter
  17-year fight

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Working Families Network Success

• Corporate
• Campaign Wall Street firms backing Social
  Security privatization
• Messages sent 231,396 to local Charles Schwab,
  Wachovia and Edward Jones offices
• Result Wachovia and Edward Jones stopped
  supporting privatization

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Working Families Network Success

• Bottom Line
• Working family activists have sent more than 107
  million messages to Congress, the White House,
  state legislatures, CEOs and local lawmakers
• Theyve gotten results

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Working Families Network Success

• BUT
• An e-mail campaign alone will not win a big
  fight.
• Combine online and offline tactics strategically
  to win.

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To Join Working Families Network

• Contact Chris Kenngott
• Working Families Network Manager
• 202-637-5036
• ckenngot_at_aflcio.org

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Blogs
Whats a blog? A weblog is an online journal
that is frequently updated and expresses the
personality or point of view of the author.
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Blogs

• 50 million blogs counted as of July 31,
  2006probably a LOW estimate
• Blogosphere doubles about everysix-and-a-half
  months
• Some 175,000 new blogs created each day
• More than two blogs created every SECOND
• About 1.6 million postings per day18.6 posts per
  second

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Why Blog?

• Get breaking news out fast
• Spin message without filters
• Get viral potential
• Build/expand community of interest
• Infiltrate blogosphere
• Infiltrate mainstream media

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Why Blog?
You dont need to have your own blog

• Post comments
• Post diaries
• Get your comments recommended
• Get your posts Digged (www.digg.com)

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Why Blog?

• Get to know bloggers and blogger networks
• Create your own blogger watch/ blogger network

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Find and List Blogs

• Technorati www.technorati.com/blogs/
• Blog Catalog www.blogcatalog.com
• Google Blog Search http//blogsearch.google.com

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Find and List BlogsState Blog Rolls

• LeftyBlogswww.leftyblogs.com
• MyDDwww.mydd.com/story/2007/1/9/10566/62906
• Blogpacwww.blogpac.org/

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AFL-CIO Blog
AFL-CIO Now Send news and tips
to www.aflcio.org/blog_sendus.cfm Contact Tula
Connell tconnell_at_aflcio.org
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Manage Your Blog List

• Bloglines http//www.bloglines.com
• Easy scanning of new posts on your favorite blogs
  and websites

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Join OnlineCommunity Sites

• MySpacecommunity networkingwww.myspace.com
• Facebookcommunity networkingwww.facebook.com
• YouTubegot a video? Share it onlinewww.youtube.c
  om
• Flickrgot images? Share photo librarywww.flickr.
  com

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AFL-CIO Video www.YouTube.com

• Two Guys series(Labor 2006)
• More than 118,000 views

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AFL-CIO Video Leveraging all resources

• Multichannel
• E-mail broadcast
• BlogAFL-CIO Now
• AFL-CIO website
• AffiliatesAFT, CWA and others
• YouTube account
• Two Guys blog ads
• Blog list serves

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Writing and Designing Online for Effect
Five Rules for Communicating the Union Message

• Tell the unions basic story Who we are, what we
  stand for, what we do.
• Let working people tell the story.
• Make materials reflect the unions diversity.
• Show that the union deliversthat were
  effective.
• Emphasize the positive core values over
  conflict, hopes over fears.

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Key Word LEVERAGE
Make e-tools add up to more than the sum of their
parts.
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Campaigning in Cyberspace

• How to get started
• Websites
• E-mail
• List building
• Blogs
• Online communities

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Campaigning in Cyberspace

• How to get started (contd)
• WebsitesAFL-CIO LaborNet
• E-mailWorking Families Network
• List Buildingall communications
• Blogsresearch and contact

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Campaigning in Cyberspace

• Staffing needs for central labor councils
• Current staff works part-time on Internet
  communications.
• Get local affiliates to volunteer.
• Next hire should have an interest in online
  activity.

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Campaigning in Cyberspace

• AFL-CIO